Monday, February 1, 2010

The Scene of the Crime: A front yard, Midwestern USA. Suburbuan cul-de-sac. Nice home, quiet street. Not the kind of place you would expect something like this to happen.

The Date and Time: Valentine's Day, 2007, early in the afternoon. All the crazy stuff seems to happen on holidays, right? But no one around here has ever seen this kind of thing. Not here. Folks in these parts thought this stuff only happened on TV--not right in their front yards.

The Crime: Graffiti. Obviously, a crime of passion.

Let's take the evidence to forensics and really get a good look at this. Right on the front lawn, too. It's a darn shame, that we let lunatics like this run around, that we let them get away with this kind of stuff.

What we're looking at here is a closer shot, taken from the upstairs window. The screen's in the way. Can we get our resident computer geek to move that screen out of the way so we can get a look at what's really going on down there?

There we go, that's better. I think I can make out some writing, there.

Yep, there it is. They've written, "RUTH (heart)'s BEN". I think that means "Ruth loves Ben." Are you seeing it? Uh-huh, right there. But what could it mean? Hey, call down to the lab and see if they've been able to get some DNA from that sample we sent 'em.

What do you mean? There's no DNA? There's gotta be some DNA! It's written in blood! Oh, that's not blood we're looking at? It's a mixture of food coloring and water, huh? That explains a lot. I'm beginning to see where we're going with this one, now. Someone with a little too much time on her hands filled up a squirt bottle with water and red food coloring, and took aim at the snow covered front lawn. Real class, there.

Like I said, it's a crime of passion, heheh. Kids messin' around, probably, pulling some kind of a prank. Those hooligans and their shenanigans. You know, these teenage girls showing off for some guy they like. Case closed. Happy Valentine's Day, and all that.

Note from Ruth: This was actual footage from Valentine's Day 2007 at our house. And I confess: I'm the hooligan who made that shenanigan! I also confess that I heart Valentine's Day. I enjoy coming up with new things every year to show my family how I love them. I especially take evil delight in finding slightly embarrassing ways to show the Bionic Man how much I love him. Oh yes, I have stories to tell!

Join me from February 1-14 for some Valentine fun

as I blog about fun ways to celebrate the Day of Love

with your family, friends, and Special Someone.

I can't wait! In the meantime, here's some evidence of how things worked out on Valentine's Day 2007. I give you a picture taken on February 15, 2007:

That's Superkid, who fell asleep on the couch holding a rose she'd stolen from the lovely bouquet her dad gave me the night before. (She justified the crime later by reminding me that her middle name is Rose, making her the obvious owner of any rose that enters our home.) How could I do anything but take a picture of this?

But let's not get sidetracked by the cute sleeping child. The point is, the Bionic Man was reminded of Valentine's Day by the graffiti on our lawn before he pulled into the driveway, giving him a second chance to do things right. Yep, that's how we roll!

The Quote that Really Inspires Me:

"You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter. "What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside. "If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Happiness, Your Heritage"